Round about December I'll start planning for our 3-week August trip.  The planning is getting pretty easy since we have more or less settled on WCPP as our general destination.  The dates are basically determined by the train schedule - I know we'll be leaving Toronto on a Tuesday evening and leaving from Red Lake Road well before dawn on a Friday so the total trip including travel ail be 26 days beginning on a Tuesday and ending on a Saturday. 

As to the actual route, I do consult with Harlan with what we're looking for and he offers some possibilities.  The great thing about WCPP is that there are so many lakes that adjustments to the route can easily be made on the fly but things like put-in and take-out need to be co-ordinated with Harlan.  And of course if we decide to fly-in or fly-out then that has to be planned as well.

I usually do a short spring trip and a short autumn trip that sandwiches the big one and after the autumn trip I go through all my gear as I put it away so that, for the most part, everything is ready to go in the spring.  New gear I might choose to buy or repairs that need to be done give me something to do in the dark days of winter.

As for campsites, I like to know if there are particularly good ones that we might want use as layovers but what Harlan or someone else thinks is a great site is not always what I'm looking for, so we get what info we can and then check things out as we go.  As for portages, it's a crap shoot at the best of times.  We go out in August when the water is usually lower so what might have been a nice little creek paddle (on the map) could easily turn into a major bog slog.  This past trip was a case in point.  I look at a 1000 M port on the map and think, "That might be tough."  Whereas I won't pay much attention to some little 70 M affair.  And you know how it goes (this past trip it seemed like in every case) the long ones are walks in the park and those little wee ones turn out to be murder.  As we're wading thigh deep in primordial goo through what was supposed to be a lovely, scenic creek paddle I often have evil thoughts about Harlan.  But truthfully, I don't expect Harlan to give me some kind of guarantee (although he's told me some pretty funny stories about folks that do!) If I wanted guarantees I'd go to Adventureland where all difficulties are obviated with fairy dust.

You don't have it bad until you have park topo maps on your cell phone. 

dd

I have a old Peak 1 multi-fuel. Other than a new fuel cap gasket, it's been bulletproof.
I wish they still made them.
I'll keep in mind you know a repair guy, if I ever need one.

Quote:


But being a smart wife, she'll "let" you have your fantasy and only step in if your in danger of crashing and burning.

My sister and bro-in-law went to Ireland/Scotland. Sister is a anal retentive planner/scheduler. Bro-in-law is a deal with it on the fly.
This was back before Smart Phones and laptops etc that people take now.
2nd day in Ireland, my sister loses her little itinerary packet and goes into full blown disaster/trip is ruined mode.

Bro-in-law takes charge and they get where they needed to be with some great experiences along the way and memories to last a lifetime.

Even my sis said it was the best trip they ever took, but old habits are hard to leave behind and she' still anal retentive about things like that.

Unless it's life or death/ can't miss connections, to much planning/detail locks you into the very stress your looking to escape IMHO.

everytime my trip group gets together we discuss our plans for the next year.

now that we own enough canoes and have a method of transport for them (a crazy roof rack i built to hold 2) and settled on a trip size of 4 (at least for the past few years), all the hard stuff is done. everyone rides in my SUV with the 2 canoes on top, all the gear fits inside, including 4 adult males comfortably.

when you have more people, that means more transport vehicles, more canoes and possibly a trailer, it becomes more difficult.

i live right in the middle of the state and between all the guys that go on the trip. i have a big yard/driveway for parking and have access to a 24/7 walmart, a fleet farm and a gander mountain. those last minute impulse buys are some of the best ideas!!

"planning" for the most recent trips has been deciding how much fishing tackle to take

Puckster wrote on Oct 5^th, 2013 at 3:05am:


most definitely i feel pretty lucky to have the crew i do. being that 3 of us are brothers and the 4 is an adopted brother, im hoping the group never falls apart

stevens point is a 12 minute trip!